Overview
- The peer-reviewed study published this week in JAMA Pediatrics followed 747 Norwegian children and measured language skills annually at ages five, six and seven.
- Higher primary-caregiver smartphone use was associated with slower growth in children’s receptive vocabulary, with roughly a 2.5-point lower score for children whose parents used phones about four hours per day versus one hour per day.
- The link between parents' phone time and slower vocabulary growth held after researchers adjusted for household income and parental education.
- Children who owned a tablet or phone had lower language scores at age five but those differences disappeared by age seven.
- Authors and commentators emphasize the study is observational and does not prove causation, and they recommend focusing guidance on family screen habits and preserving responsive interactions such as shared reading and conversation.